Place the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl and thaw in microwave just until defrosted.

Add marinara sauce to broccoli, cover the bowl with wax paper, and set aside.

As pasta is nearing readiness, microwave the broccoli and sauce until desired temperature.

While the broccoli and sauce are warming, remove the pasta from the heat and drain it.

Immediately add the pasta to the broccoli and sauce mixture.

Garnish with walnuts.

When consumed the day of or the day before a race, meals lower in fiber tend to be better tolerated; hence, the white flour pasta. Broccoli may similarly cause gastrointestinal distress for some runners, so feel free to switch in your favorite vegetable(s).

Regardless of the meal you intend on eating the night before your race, be sure to try it the night before a practice run in order to make sure you tolerate it well and feel your best.

3. Stir over low to medium heat until rice and vegetables are thoroughly thawed and warm.

4. Serve immediately.

5. Use the leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

This recipe is truly quick and easy.No prep, mere minutes start to finish, and only one pot to clean at the end.Yet, it provides plenty of vegetables, protein, and fiber, while keeping sodium and saturated fat very low.

Switch up the kind of beans, vegetables, and grain for variety.Based on this one format, even just two options for each of these three ingredients will yield eight different meals!

Tailor the recipe to your particular needs, preferences, and tolerance. For example, some athletes may need to add more salt or prefer lime juice to lemon.

As written, this recipe will yield approximately the same volume as a 32-oz. bottle of Gatorade and provide virtually the same amounts of calories, sodium, carbohydrates, and sugar. The potassium in this mixture is significantly higher than in Gatorade.

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